Hit and run statistics

Murad Qureshi: How many “hit and run”’ incidents do we annually record between cyclists and pedestrians?

The Mayor: Casualty data is collected by the Metropolitan and City of London police services according to criteria set out by the Department for Transport. This includes noting whether a vehicle that collided with another road user, and which resulted in injury, did not stop at the scene of the collision. A separate data category identifies whether a vehicle involved in the incident, but not in a collision with the injured party, failed to stop. This response focuses on the first category - i.e. incidents where the vehicle in the collision failed to stop.
Data records for 2019 show a total of 5,662 pedestrians injured (all severities) during the year, of which 229 were injured in a collision with a cycle, with the remaining 5,433 injured in collisions with other vehicles.
Looking specifically at pedestrian injuries where the other vehicle failed to stop, in 2019 police recorded 71 instances where cycles failed to stop following a collision in which a person walking was injured, and 1,682 instances where other vehicles failed to stop following a collision in which a person walking was injured.
In 2017 and 2018 police recorded 76 and 87 incidents where cycles failed to stop following a collision in which a person walking was injured, so across the last three years on average 78 instances have been recorded each year where a cycle fails to stop following a collision in which a pedestrian injury is recorded by the police.

Affordable housing section 106

Murad Qureshi: How many affordable homes have been delivered in London through section 106, on schemes of 50 or fewer units, in each of the last 5 financial years?

The Mayor: The London Development Database records the number of affordable homes delivered, but does not record whether there is section 106 agreement on the permission. The totals below are therefore all affordable units completed in schemes proposing between 1 and 49 residential units. The totals are net (losses on the scheme are subtracted):

Developments

Shaun Bailey: Please provide a list of all developments you have called in as well as which developer was behind each development?

The Mayor: Please find attached list.
N.B. Due to the nature of the planning system we do not necessarily know the identity of any developer, however we do know the identity of the named applicant.

Streetspace (1)

Gareth Bacon: What future plans do you have for the Streetspace programme beyond what has been published already?

The Mayor: On behalf of London boroughs, a bid has been made to the Department for Transport (DfT) for a further £20 million of active travel funding for the second half of this financial year. If successful, this would enable TfL and London boroughs to deliver strategic cycling infrastructure and low traffic neighbourhoods to help London work towards a green and sustainable recovery. Any further funding will depend upon TfL’s wider discussions with the Government on the financial support it needs following the impact of coronavirus on its finances.

Westferry Development

Shaun Bailey: What involvement did the GLA have in the planning process of the proposed Westferry Development?

The Mayor: Tower Hamlets Council formally consulted the GLA on the application on the 12 September 2018.
I issued comments to the Council on 17 December 2018 in my Stage 1 letter raising a number of concerns relating to the impact on open space; the height of the proposed buildings and their impact on the setting of the Tower of London; and the failure of the developer to demonstrate that they were providing the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing.
Following the applicant’s decision to go to appeal, GLA officers gave evidence to a Public Inquiry in August 2019 in support of my concerns. The Secretary of State allowed the appeal but his decision was subsequently quashed by government on grounds of apparent bias.

Streetspace (2)

Gareth Bacon: What feedback have you received from London boroughs on the Streetspace programme and which boroughs have you sought feedback from since its introduction?

The Mayor: From the outset of my Streetspace programme, Transport for London (TfL) has been actively listening to and working with London’s boroughs. By doing so, TfL and the boroughs have been able to rapidly introduce measures that will seek to avoid a car-based recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and enable more Londoners to walk and cycle whilst capacity on public transport is limited by social distancing.
TfL and borough officers are in regular contact to discuss the local impacts of delivered schemes, and to determine whether or not amendments need to be made to improve them. TfL also continues to work closely with all boroughs to progress Streetspace measures on borough roads. These local schemes are an important part of the Streetspace programme to provide new cycling opportunities, safe school streets and low traffic neighbourhoods.

Planning and Regeneration

Andrew Boff: The Government’s 'Planning for the Future' White Paper sets out proposals for an overhaul of the current planning system in England. What is the Mayor’s assessment of how these proposals will affect the next London Plan cycle? If the proposed reforms are adopted, would the GLA continue to play a role in the planning system and what do you imagine that role would involve?

The Mayor: Given the lack of detail in the Planning White Paper, particularly as it relates to the unique context of London and the Mayoral planning powers, it is not possible to say at this stage what impact it might have on any future review of the London Plan.
Those involved directly with the White Paper have emphasised an on-going active role for the Greater London Authority (GLA) in planning, similar to the current arrangements, and this is also firmly my expectation. This is essential – particularly bearing in mind the success of these arrangements in delivering the homes including affordable homes, jobs, successful places, and the continued significant pipeline of development that the Government says that it wants.
My London Plan also provides a clear framework of standards which could be readily applied to other parts of the country to help deliver high quality, sustainable development. The benefits of the strategic apportionment of housing targets and my Community Infrastructure Levy are recognised in the White Paper and readily applicable to combined authority areas. Furthermore, the work of the GLA with London boroughs, in relation to the digital agenda, can be used as a basis for delivering many of the Government’s ambitions in this regard.

Walking and Cycling Commissioner Tweet

David Kurten: The Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman tweeted on 14th July: ‘For journeys under 30 minutes, the walking journey is just a few minutes longer, or about the same time, as a journey on a train or taxi. It takes just 20 minutes to walk from Euston to the British Museum, compared to 17 minutes via the tube and 18 minutes in a cab.’1 The journey time between these two points using a taxi is just 6 minutes however. Why did one of your staff encourage people to walk rather than to take a taxi using incorrect data?

1https://twitter.com/willnorman/status/1282956346288201729

The Mayor: Encouraging more journeys to be made by active travel is a key part of my Transport Strategy. With London’s safe public transport capacity currently restricted while social distancing measures remain, millions of journeys a day will need to be made by other means. We simply don’t have enough space in central London to accommodate unconstrained car use. Therefore, it is vital that those who can walk or cycle more of their journeys. My Walking and Cycling Commissioner was highlighting how walkable many journeys are in central London.
Road journey times in London are often dependent on the day of week and time of day. The data was collected from citymapper.com/London using Thursday 5:30pm as the constant start time. The journey times quoted were taken from the press release: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/news-and-blog/blog/central-london-footw... published by London Living Streets to announce the publication of their Central London Footways map.

Oakley Square North

Caroline Pidgeon: The leader of Camden Council recently responded to residents of Oakley Square North who had contracted her relating to concerns about the impact of the cycle lane on the A400 stating: “We also note your concerns about the impact of this scheme on Oakley Square North. We wrote to TfL as they were preparing the scheme on the south side of the Square, which is on their network, and asked to ensure Oakley Square North was carefully monitored during the scheme to ensure any impacts on the north side (Camden’s road network) were assessed. We would therefore also be keen to know the outcomes of any information TfL are able to provide with respect to that agreed monitoring.” Please publish all monitoring that TfL has undertaken on all surrounding roads of the newly installed A400 cycle lane.

The Mayor: At the beginning of June, Transport for London (TfL) introduced temporary pop-up cycle facilities to aid safe active travel and social distancing in the London Borough of Camden on Hampstead Road, Oakley Square, Lidlington Place and Harrington Square. These urgent and necessary measures have provided quick-to-install cycle facilities that help protect those choosing to cycle on one of London’s known strategic cycling corridors.
TfL conducted an Environmental Visual Audit (EVA) on 13 July to assess compliance with the newly introduced no-left turn for vehicles from Oakley Square (A400) onto Eversholt Street (A4200). Following this audit, signage at the junction has been reviewed and will be assessed as part of the autumn scheme monitoring. Following feedback from local residents that motorists are rat-running on Oakley Square North to avoid the no-left turn on Oakley Square/Eversholt St, TfL is currently designing a solution to mitigate this while still permitting access for residents. TfL is engaged with the borough and the Oakley Square North residents and aims to share design proposals during September.

Hotel to residential conversions

Murad Qureshi: In light of the impact of COVID19 on tourism, what scope do you think we have with hotel conversions to residential in the present time?

The Mayor: Tourism is of vital importance to London’s economy. Hotels and other forms of visitor infrastructure have been hit hard by the pandemic and international restrictions on travel.
Despite the immediate challenges, it is essential that a range of visitor accommodation is maintained over the longer-term to provide for the needs of tourists and business visitors in the future and my new London Plan contains policies to ensure this. Given the current level of uncertainty around future demand it is too soon to draw firm conclusions as to the scope for conversions of hotels to residential.
Hotels have also played a pivotal role in our work with boroughs and charities to safely accommodate homeless people during the pandemic. We will continue working with Public Health England (and its successor body, the National Institute for Health Protection), MHCLG and all London boroughs on plans for this winter to build on the success of the approach and to ensure that as many people as possible have access to self-contained accommodation straight from the streets.

Kew Garden Coach Drop-Offs

Tony Arbour: Are you comfortable with the impact on cyclists of Richmond Council’s current plan to use Kew Green for Kew Royal Botanic Gardens’ coach drop offs?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has asked all London boroughs to review their schemes to ensure there are no unintended consequences for people cycling. TfL informs me that Richmond Council’s proposals to move the coach drop-off from the busy cycle corridor on A307 Kew Road to the quieter backstreet location on Kew Green is a positive proposal for people cycling.

London Plan and Covid -19

Navin Shah: Is the London Plan robust enough to withstand the impact of Covid19 on our communities when it comes to policy areas like family size homes; fabric of town centres, regeneration areas including the future of Opportunity Areas? Or should you be considering changes to the London Plan to equip London for the new norm?

The Mayor: My draft London Plan already provides a robust and flexible framework that can work effectively in many different circumstances and help London adapt to the challenges and potential changes we face. There are clearly currently uncertainties about the impacts of Covid-19 and it is too soon to draw firm conclusions but the policies are forward thinking and are able to address many of the priorities already emerging as a result of the pandemic. For example the delivery of good quality homes, ensuring minimum space standards, the promotion of town centre strategies and the use of design codes as well as supporting a green recovery through encouraging more walking and cycling, the protection and enhancement of green open space and responding to the climate emergency.
The London Plan will also be supported by Planning Guidance that can be changed more rapidly to respond to specific circumstances to provide advice and leadership for London as a whole. I will keep the situation under review, particularly in light of the government’s announcements about changes to permitted development rights and other planning reforms, which have the potential to impact adversely on our high streets and employment areas as well as the ability to secure funding to provide the vital infrastructure needed for new development and to ensure existing communities are not adversely impacted.

Borough Streetspace schemes funded by Transport for London (2)

Caroline Russell: In answer to my question 2020/1657 you responded with details on funding provided in tranches one to three of the Streetspace programme in summer 2020. Could you also provide the same information for schemes funded in tranches four to six including: a) identification number, b) borough, c) project name, d) number of schemes, e) Transport for London (TfL) funding request, f) intervention type, g) initial funding, and h) a summary of projects by borough and scheme type?

The Mayor: The table showing borough-led schemes awarded funding within tranches Four to Six of the London Streetspace Programme is attached (Appendix 1), alongside a summary of Estimated Final Costs (EFC) for the entire borough-led programme by borough and scheme type (Appendix 2).
The programme is actively managed by Transport for London (TfL), working with the boroughs. Given the imperative for rapid delivery and tight budgetary deadlines changes occur regularly. Therefore, please note that these tables include schemes which have subsequently been added to the programme via the ‘Change Control’ process for reallocating funding between projects, and reflect only schemes that remain live or have been delivered at the time of writing, and not those which have been cancelled or withdrawn.

Shared ownership charter

Unmesh Desai: Following my question 2020/1935, if a shared ownership provider has been found to have breached the terms of your Shared Ownership Charter for Service Charges, will they be removed from the published list of organisations signed up to the charter?

The Mayor: I expect that all housing providers directly involved in the development and management of shared ownership in London to sign up to the Shared Ownership Charter for Service Charges, particularly those in receipt of affordable housing grant from the Greater London Authority (GLA). Providers are responsible for ensuring they deliver their services in line with the principles set out in the Charter.
The GLA is currently consulting on how to further improve the experiences of shared owners through its intermediate housing consultation - I would welcome feedback on this and other issues through this consultation.

Victoria Quarter site

Susan Hall: Will you uphold the decision of Barnet Council to reject the planning application submitted this year by One Housing and Fairview Homes for the Victoria Quarter site in New Barnet?

The Mayor: I cannot comment on the specific planning application, which has not yet been referred to me at Stage 2. When considering the scheme and determining what decision to make at Stage 2, I will take account of the Council’s reasons for refusal, the planning policies in the Development Plan, all material planning considerations and the tests in Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008. I will also take account of all representations received, in addition to a detailed assessment of the proposed scheme prepared by GLA planning officers.

Planning technology

Tony Devenish: Do you think you have done enough to make housing and planning in London "Prop-Tech interactive web based friendly" since 2016? How will you lead on this in view of the ambitions of the Planning for the Future White Paper, published in August 2020?

The Mayor: The GLA has and is currently running a number of projects that lead the way for supporting the prop-tech sector these include:
All of these data sets are a free resource to the prop-tech sectors enabling them access to data that would otherwise not be available to them.
In addition to opening up data the GLA has led a number of projects using technology to facilitate joined up infrastructure and improved development. This includes:
My officers are also in the process of working with planning authorities across London to bring the next phase of planning related digital projects forwards including a dynamic SHLAA and open source 3D model of London. We believe these initiatives can help realise many of the digitisation ambitions of the White Paper, and are happy to work with MHCLG and other authorities to build further on this.

Euston Road

David Kurten: Your road narrowing measures on Euston Road are causing congestion and increasing journey times for taxis, buses, delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles. What are you going to do to reverse this situation?

The Mayor: The recent changes on Euston Road, including the creation of a temporary protected cycle lane, are part of my Streetspace for London plan, which is making it easier for people to walk and cycle. It is vital to a green recovery that we prioritise active travel and sustainable modes of transport.
The Euston Road temporary cycle lane will enable more people to cycle more often and relieve pressure on public transport while network capacity is reduced due to social distancing requirements. Euston Road typically has vehicle flows in excess of 3,000 vehicles per hour, which contributes to an unattractive cycling environment where people cycling normally have no option but to mix with general traffic. The temporary facility links two key cycle routes through the King’s Cross and Euston areas.
TfL is closely monitoring this temporary scheme to ensure it maintains a resilient road network. Vehicle flows are being monitored in the area using a combination of signal timing technology and CCTV cameras. If severe issues are identified, TfL will evaluate the reasons and investigate any possible steps to mitigate.

Dangerous cyclists

David Kurten: What will you do to halt the increasing number of road rule breaches by cyclists, such as jumping red lights?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) works with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to engage and educate cyclists about safe and responsible road use. MPS officers continue to deal with cyclists flouting rules such as red light offences, focusing efforts on where this causes the greatest risk to pedestrians and cyclists themselves. Officers in the MPS’ Roads and Transport Policing Command’s (RTPC) Cycle Safety Team are deployed to locations where a high proportion of red light offences are established. Between 23 March and 31 July, MPS officers have issued 1,294 Traffic Offence Reports to cyclists for red light offences.
TfL deliver a number of behaviour change and marketing campaigns focused on cycle safety and responsible cycling. I recently launched TfL’s first online cycle skills course, which is tailored to cycling in London and includes practical advice for how to start cycling on the roads safely and responsibly while avoiding potential hazards, as well as covering how to share the road safely and communicate with other road users.

Post Office Temporary Closure

Tony Devenish: Can the GLA liaise with the Post Office, WH Smith and the Council to find a solution to the temporary closure of the Post Office, caused by the development of Kings Mall, Hammersmith? This appears to be an example of a lack of "joined up" thinking between three major organisations to the detriment of Hammersmith residents (especially the elderly and disabled) and business at a time when we all need to keep our distance whilst getting the economy back to normal.

The Mayor: This is a landlord and tenant matter resulting from the purchase last year of Kings Mall by Ikea’s parent company, Ingka Group. A new Ikea store will be opening in the mall and will be Britain’s first IKEA city store. Owing to the landlord’s redevelopment plans, the WH Smith store which hosted the post office has had to close. I understand that assurances have been given by the Post Office to the local MP, Andy Slaughter, that a new branch will be opening in the town centre and that the Post Office are advertising for any potential retail partners interested in running a branch in the area.

Cycleway 9 (1)

Tony Devenish: The leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council promised that an independent resident-led Commission would “lead the design team” redesigning CW9. Given that the residents commission will only “inform detailed designs, where possible”. Do you accept that he has misled the public?

The Mayor: No. I am pleased the leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council is in full support of a safer cycle route along the alignment through the borough, and it is encouraging that the Council is engaging and listening to local people in order to achieve the best final outcome for the community. I think what Hammersmith & Fulham Council aspired to achieve by involving residents more is laudable. Transport for London will continue to work closely with the Council on this scheme.

Cycleway 9 (2)

Tony Devenish: Given that a petition against the current CW9 scheme gathered more responses than the original TfL consultation, and that the petition was more recent; and that the original consultation showed that residents with postcodes along the route were 60:40 opposed, why are you continuing with Cycleway 9?

The Mayor: Cycleway 9 is currently being accelerated using temporary measures following my announcement in May this year, as part of my London Streetspace Plan to enable London’s recovery. In terms of continuity of delivery for Cycleway 9, please see my response to Question: 2019/21143. https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2019/21143

Cycleway 9 (3)

Tony Devenish: Please explain why responses to FOI requests have shown there has been no evaluation of demand for cycling and no feasibility study for CW9?

The Mayor: Demand for Cycleway 9 has been evaluated. Transport for London’s analysis shows that the route alignment is in the top 5-10 per cent in London for cycling demand. The full details of the feasibility study can be found in the ‘Response to Issues Raised’ report which can be found here: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/cs9/?cid=cs9.